SEP Ideas Invitation Letter

Dear Resident:

My staff and I are responsible for negotiating settlements with facilities in violation of federal environmental laws. In certain cases, the settlements may include environmentally beneficial projects, sometimes referred to as supplemental environmental projects (SEPs). A SEP is a project that a violator voluntarily agrees to perform as part of the settlement of an enforcement action. The purpose of this letter is to request ideas that we can consider proposing to violators as SEPs from persons in communities where regulated facilities have violated federal environmental laws. (The enclosed SEP brochure (pdf*7pg) contains more details on SEPs.)

There are specific requirements that projects must meet to qualify as SEPs, such as the existence of a link between the violation and the SEP. What we are looking for are ideas from a local perspective on the type of projects that are needed and wanted in the communities where violations have occurred. We want to develop a bank of ideas to present to facility representatives for their consideration during negotiations with us. We believe that industry will be more interested in project ideas that communities have suggested.

There are eight categories of SEPs: (1) public health, (2) pollution prevention, (3) pollution reduction, (4) environmental restoration and protection, (5) assessments and audits, (6) environmental compliance promotion, (7) emergency planning and preparedness, and (8) other. The enclosed brochure has some examples of approved SEPs. Please realize that SEPs are negotiated projects; we cannot ensure that a SEP proposed will be adopted. Furthermore, SEPs have to relate to the environmental violation and meet other legal requirements. Therefore many good ideas for projects, such as a playground or employment center, do not meet the SEP policy requirements and thus are inappropriate to propose during negotiations.

If you wish to propose SEP ideas, please fill out the enclosed SEP Idea Form and return it to EPA for consideration or visit our new Website at www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6en/6en-sep.htm. Please mail your SEP ideas to Teresa Cooks (6EN), 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733. Our staff will review all ideas submitted and will post on our SEP Website those that we consider appropriate (i.e. meets applicable policy or guidelines) to propose to violators in future negotiations. EPA has made a commitment to encourage the use of SEPs in settlements and welcomes your ideas.

* You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.